The present invention relates to a shower head having ready accessibility to the interior thereof, and, more particularly, to a shower head having an interior that can be easily accessed through its distal end for cleaning, repair and the like.
There are many different types and designs of shower heads that connect to a source of water, normally a water pipe, and which then distribute the water in some predetermined manner and pattern to a person.
One of the difficulties of present shower heads, however, is that, depending on the conditions of the water, there can be a build up of calcium or other particulate materials in the shower head that impair the performance of the shower head and, ultimately, can clog the shower head to the point it is ineffective to direct the flow of water onto the user.
More seriously, the spread of infectious diseases, borne by bacteria and viruses alike, has reached critical levels worldwide. At present, the ability to identify and develop effective counteracting measures for such bacteria and viruses has been overwhelmed by the proliferation of such airborne and waterborne agents. Such agents may be found for example, in the common water supplies that are the source of drinking and bathing water alike.
A particular problem that has yet to be fully appreciated and addressed is the accumulation and spread of such disease causing agents for example, through the faucets and nozzles of bathing facilities, such as showers, sinks and the like. The difficulty is particularly acute in the instance of shower heads, where the disease bearing agents such as mold and the like, can accumulate and proliferate within the head, and will be rapidly and widely dispersed once the shower is activated. As a consequence, the operation of the shower causes the widespread distribution of the disease bearing agents through the shower head.
It is noteworthy that most people would consider that the shower head would not need to be cleaned, and certainly no one would consider replacing the head if it still sprayed (functioned). This demonstrates that the problem noted herein is virtually unknown and unappreciated.
Current shower heads are not designed for disassembly to gain access to the interior of the shower head, particularly when installed in a shower facility. Accordingly, disassembly of the shower head to enter the interior of the unit, for example, to clean and disinfect the unit and/or to remove unwanted and obstructive particulate matter that has accumulated in use, is a difficult matter often requiring the services of a professional such as a plumber. At a minimum, the cleaning of the interior of the shower head requires the services of a person having at least basic skills in plumbing, piping and the like, along with the availability of certain basic plumbing tools. As such, the average person is often faced with a difficult task in cleaning the interior of the shower head to restore it to the normal flow conditions for water passing therethrough.
This is particularly true in facilities where the person having the responsibility to maintain the proper operation of the shower head is elderly and/or has limited abilities to remove the shower head to access the interior thereof to carry out the cleaning process.
Accordingly, current shower heads by their design, provide no means for accessing the interior of the head assembly to clean and sanitize the same and to remove accumulated debris, mold, other disease causing agents, and the like. It would therefore be advantageous to have a shower head that is specially designed and constructed so as to facilitate the access to the interior of the shower head so that the task of cleaning particulate or other matter from the interior of the shower head does not require tools and can be carried out by a person having limited plumbing abilities.
There is moreover a need that exists for the development and use of a shower head that is capable of interior cleaning with reasonable facility, so that disease causing agents can be either removed or prevented from accumulating and growing. It is toward the fulfillment of these objectives, that the present invention is directed.